+ 0 - 0 | § ¶Cardiology check-up
Alex had his first cardiology appointment in 5 months on Friday. They gave him an EKG and an exam, and the doctor said that everything look as expected - which basically means that he still has no pulmonary valve (duh!). Alex isn't showing any signs of heart trouble at this point, and he hasn't taken any heart meds since shortly after his last appointment. He's also growing well, and is now on the 5th percentile for his weight and at about 8-10% for his height! Yeah! We're on the growth chart! Alex is stilll gaining weight faster than his peers, which means that he's catching up, though very slowly. His weight yesterday was about 20 lbs, though it's hard to tell because he was wearing a wet diaper. The cardiologist (Dr. Kamenir) said that we'll see him again in six months for another EKG, echo, and exam, and that Alex should not be restricted from any activities at this point (as if he was before). He also repeated what we already knew, which was that Alex will probably have to have a pulmonary valve put in once he's fully grown, but that, by that time, they may be able to do that using a catheterization, rather than open heart surgery.In other news, Alex is doing very well. He's continuing to eat new and exciting things, like pancakes, bread, Spaghettios, Spanish rice, and fruit - he loves strawberries - and he's impressing his OT with his chewing skills and willingness to try almost anything at least once. Everyone is pretty optimistic about his ability to get rid of the tube sooner than later. Unfortunately, we have no idea what sooner is!